Barcellona Meeting,

The fourth meeting of the EUROMENE Cost Action was held in
Barcelona (Spain) at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital (16 – 17
March 2017). On Thursday, March 16, 2017, the meeting had a
welcome by Local Director of Promotional Clinical Research (Xavier
Cañas), General Director of Planning and Evaluation, Catolonia
Generality (Maria J. Pueyo),

Local Chair (Jesus Castro), Local Vice-Chair (Julià Blanco)
and COST Chair (Modra Murovska). The WGs discussed on
different objectives:

promote multidisciplinary strategies in ME/CFS research and
foster a full chain of translational research;

explore the potential of existing cohorts through workshop and
seminar programmes as sources of potential cases of ME/CFS and
the advancement of the epidemiological understanding of the
disease;

facilitate the development of adequate local systems for case
finding, data collection and storage via best practice exchange;

survey European countries existing data on economic loss due
to ME/CFS;

Increase capacity by organizing training panel “Novel methods
in potential infection-associated biomarkers research for
ME/CFS” and following training school on-omics and
bioinformatics in ME/CFS research. Organize STSMs, accomplish
them and monitor results;

WG2 Biomarker presentation on an update on the European biomarker
landscape project was given and the map presented. Special
interest groups were established for chronic persistent infections
(chaired by Bhupesh Prusty), genetic markers (chaired by Enrica
Capelli) and autoimmune markers (chaired by Carmen Scheibenbogen).

WG3 Socioeconomic presentation was done by Prof Derek (UK). WG4
Clinical and Research Case Criteria was given by Dr Elin (NO) with
a brief summary of results from the survey among the EUROMENE on
national guidelines, case definitions, clinical enablers as well
as important topics to be ruled out on the current meeting were
presented. Prof Leonard Jason (DePaul University, Chicago, USA)
was invited for a Skype talk and to discuss about case
definitions, assessments tools of symptoms in ME/CFS and the
current situation of prevalence and diagnostic criteria of ME/CFS
in USA and Europe. Jose Alegre (ES) (WG4 member) presented
clinical features and patient-reported outcome measures used in
the Spanish CFS/ME cohort from the CFS/ME Clinical Unit at the
Vall d`Hebron Hospital in Barcelona.

A presentation of Spanish ME/CFS Patients' Association Conference
was made by president of the association. WG5 Conferences,
Seminars and Training Schools presented by Dr Shikova-Lekova (BG)
regarding the organization of the training school on –omics
technology and bioinformatics in ME/CFS to hold in Pavia (Italy)
on July 17-22, 2017 and the following meetings in Belgrade
(Serbia) on September 7, 2017 and in Sofia (Bulgaria) on February
8, 2018.

WG6 on Dissemination and exploitation and patient involvement and
digitalization was presented by Dr Lorenzo Lorusso (IT) and Dr
Anne M. Mengshoel (NO) which done a presentation on activities and
realization of the final EUROMENE website. WG7 on STSMs that
Dr Els Tobback (BE) as coordinator presented. On Friday, March 17,
2017, Modra Murovska (LV) summarized the Core Group Meeting held
Thursday morning.